Back (Human Body Part)

News about Back (Human Body Part), including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Nov. 26, 2014

Panel of medical experts advises against Food and Drug Administration putting its toughest warning on steroid injections for neck and back pain, which millions of Americans receive annually; assets that alert would have signaled to doctors that risks outweigh potential benefits. MORE

Jul. 3, 2014

Study published in The New England Journal of Medicine finds steroid injections for spinal stenosis, widely used method of treating common cause of back and leg pain, may provide little benefit for many patients; steroid injections are often tried when physical therapy or anti-inflammatory medication fails, with the aim of avoiding expensive surgery; some insurance companies require injections before approving surgery. MORE

Mar. 28, 2014

Yoga Union Center for Backcare and Scoliosis, founded in 2007 in Manhattan, offers yoga instruction for people with back problems. MORE

Sep. 20, 2013

Study appearing in The New England Journal of Medicine provides best evidence yet that wearing back brace will slow progression of most common form of scoliosis in adolescents, helping them avoid painful spine surgery; physicians have recommended bracing to treat scoliosis in adolescents for more than 50 years, but until now, research on its effectiveness had produced mixed results. MORE

Sep. 19, 2013

A new review of studies suggests that injecting any liquid, even plain saline solution, works just as well as steroid injections for back pain. MORE

Aug. 2, 2013

Conservative management is often recommended for back pain, but doctors are performing more CT and M.R.I. scans, prescribing more opiates and referring more patients to specialists, which may lead to expensive and ineffective surgeries. MORE

Jul. 18, 2013

May. 12, 2013

Esther Gokhale of Palo Alto, Calif, is posture guru of Silicon Valley; she teaches people who sit and work at desks and computers all day about basic posture to avoid back pain; her courses are offered in her studio and in cities across the country. MORE

Nov. 18, 2012

News analysis; experts say that meningitis outbreak linked to New England Compounding Center has raised questions about practice of prescribing steroids for back pain; most academic researchers say there is no evidence that steroid injections are useful in easing straightforward chronic low back pain. MORE

Sep. 6, 2012

Dr Daryl F Fourney, lead researcher in a clinical trial for a device to treat back pain, has been intimidated by the device’s maker Vertos Medical from reporting his negative findings; Vertos contends Fourney's report is flawed, but Fourney says he had a duty to report his findings; case provides glimpse into sometimes contentious world of medical testing and federal rules that allow device makers to market new products with little or no data about their long-term effectiveness or safety. MORE

Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is widely recommended for the relief of back pain and the pain of knee and hip arthritis. But a systematic review of randomized trials has found that it works no better than a placebo.